


Tale As Old As Time

by HermioneJeanWayne



Category: Beauty and the Beast (2017), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Bad Puns, Disney Movies, Established Relationship, F/M, Films, Fluff and Humor, One Shot, bad singing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-16
Updated: 2017-06-16
Packaged: 2018-11-14 20:41:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11215899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HermioneJeanWayne/pseuds/HermioneJeanWayne
Summary: If Hermione was a Disney Princess, she'd be Belle. Shocker.





	Tale As Old As Time

**Author's Note:**

> I adored the original "Beauty and the Beast" when it came out, and I adore the new one (which I bought the day it came out). The idea of Hermione and Draco going to see it in a theater grabbed me, but in honor of the Blu-ray release I decided to change the location for the story. The snark and feels remained, however! Hope you enjoy!
> 
> As always, thanks to my lovely beta, DramioneConvert. I look forward to singing this song with you soon!

Draco rolled his eyes as he watched his girlfriend puttering around her television.

“Really, Hermione? It’s Friday night. It’s been a hell of a week at the Ministry. We could go out to eat, go see a show — The Weird Sisters are playing! You love them! Instead, you want to stay in and _watch a film_?”

Hermione just smiled, bending over to give him a quick peck on the cheek. He turned his face in an attempt to catch her lips with his. She let him kiss her for a second, then pulled away, eyes sparkling.

“This isn’t just any film, Draco. This is the remake of 'Beauty and the Beast,' a classic! Actually, to be honest with you…”

Hermione trailed off. Draco looked up, and was surprised to see Hermione biting her lip, looking almost anxious.

“Hermione? What is it?”

She shook her head. “Sorry, I’m just afraid I’ll sound silly. I know it’s just a film, but it meant more to me than that. I saw the original ‘Beauty and the Beast’ when I went home for the Christmas hols in the middle of first year. Things were still hard for me at Hogwarts — I was friends with Harry and Ron, but still trying to find my place otherwise. I still felt much more comfortable among books than people. I know that’ll shock you,” she said with a small grin. Draco caught her expression and felt an answering smile rise on his face, as always. (As an Auror, he was an expert in defensive magic, but no spell had been invented that could ward off the charm of Hermione’s smiles.)

“I’m shocked. _Shocked_ , I tell you,” Draco quipped.

“Oh shut up,” Hermione said good-naturedly. “Anyway, my parents took me out to see the film as a special treat, and I was … entranced. It was the first time I’d seen a character, especially a woman, who loved books as much as I did. And she felt different from everyone around her, just like me. I identified with her so closely. I can still remember learning the songs, singing them to myself for courage when I returned to Hogwarts.”

Draco watched her, fascinated by the play of emotions and expressions over Hermione’s face as she reminisced. Even after almost a year together, he was still taken aback sometimes by the depth of his feelings for her. He smiled softly and reached for her hand.

“Tale as old as time,” Hermione warbled, startlingly off-key. “Song as old as rhyme. Beauty and the beast…”

Draco froze, hand still outstretched, caught between the twin desires to cover her mouth and cover his ears at the same time. _Good Godric, that was bad. Thank goodness she sang to_ herself _at Hogwarts. That was on par with a mandrake’s shriek._

“All right, you’ve convinced me. I’ll get the popcorn if you start the film,” he said hurriedly. Hermione fixed him with a suspicious stare, then shrugged it off.

Draco used his wand to get the popcorn going and poured frosty pumpkin juice into two mugs. After he placed the refreshments on a tray, he took it back into the living room, where Hermione had cued up the film. Draco settled in beside her, resigned to his fate. However, he couldn’t bring himself to be all that bothered when he felt Hermione burrow into his side.

****

To his surprise, Draco found himself totally engrossed almost from the beginning.

Wincing mentally, he noted the vanity and easy cruelty of the prince rejecting the disguised witch. _That reminds me of someone specific_ , he thought ruefully. _Merlin, I was a pompous, self-centered little brat, wasn't I?_

Later, as he watched the wretched Beast, consumed and doomed by his own mistakes, Draco felt an answering melancholy from a place deep inside. _I know what that's like. It didn't matter what I did, where I turned — every decision I made back then just seemed to lead me further astray. I'm just lucky that it all ended the way it did and I had a chance at a new beginning_ , he thought.

Far too affected for his own liking, he reached for Hermione’s hand to center himself. She squeezed his hand but kept her eyes trained on the screen, captivated, a huge smile on her face. As Draco took her in, one corner of his mouth lifted.

_I am one lucky sod. Almost as lucky as the Beast. He's literally an animal and he still managed to get that Belle bird. She is quite fit, although she might have a touch of Stockholm Syndrome. Huh... she looks kind of familiar, actually. Where have I seen her before?_

Suddenly, Hermione broke into his thoughts. "Here it is!" she hissed. "The best part. I don't want you to miss it because you're staring into space like a ninny."

"Oi!" Draco started, affronted. But Hermione just motioned toward the telly, an exasperated but affectionate look on her face. Draco turned back to the screen just in time to see Belle, resplendent in a saffron gown, walk into the ballroom. Across from her, the Beast waited nervously.

"He looks like quite the catch in that jacket, don't you think? Quite fit indeed," Draco teased. "I might have to consider that there's a third option out there for me — men, women and fantastic beasts."

Hermione didn't even dignify that with a response, choosing instead to keep her gaze focused. She did roll her eyes, though, so Draco considered it a win. Chuckling quietly, he turned back to the movie.

On screen, Belle and the Beast began to dance as the anthropomorphized teapot — _Mrs. Potts, wasn’t it? How witty_ — sang the song Hermione had mangled earlier. 

_Tale as old as time_

_True as it can be_

_Barely even friends_

_Then somebody bends_

_Unexpectedly_

_Just a little change_

_Small to say the least_

_Both a little scared_

_Neither one prepared_

_Beauty and the Beast..._

Draco swallowed. Those lyrics were a little on the nose. He remembered when he first began work in the Auror Headquarters, how alone he’d felt, convinced that everyone else believed he wasn’t worthy to work with them. He’d felt that way for weeks, until the day that Hermione had extended an olive branch by inviting him round the pub with her, Harry and a few other Aurors.

He’d never forget his disbelief and gratefulness when she’d casually called “Oi, Malfoy, if you’re coming to the pub then you’d better get a move on. Harry owes us all a pint for taking care of that mess with underage magic out in Cornwall, you know.” He’d scrambled to grab his jacket and followed Hermione out the door, seeing both the roll of her eyes and the slight upward tilt of her lips. It wasn’t until later that she confessed she’d been nervously debating all day over whether she should invite him out, whether he’d take it as a gesture of goodwill or as an insulting pity invitation. Funny, how they’d both been so unsure.

Draco broke out of the fog of memory just in time to hear the final notes of the song, and he settled back in with rapt attention.

****

As the credits began to roll, Hermione sat back, smiling widely and wiping happy tears from her eyes. As she was turning to look at Draco, she began chattering away: “That was _amazing_! Every role was so well-cast, and the songs were gorgeous! It was all just so magical! What did you— Draco? Are you … are you _crying_?”

“No, of course not!” Draco said, surreptitiously trying to cast a nonverbal spell to clear the tears from his cheeks. As there was, indeed, no such spell, he was unsuccessful. “Just poked myself in the eye with my wand. Bloody dangerous, those things are.”

“Uh-huh,” Hermione said, utterly unconvinced.

“Bugger it all,” Draco said. “OK, yes, I was crying. But just a little! It was … it was good. Very good, even. And, you know, it just reminded me of us.”

“Of us? How?” Hermione asked. “Draco, is this the beginning of some insipid joke about how my hair makes me the Beast in this relationship?”

“No! Although that’s an apt comparison, if you think about it— _ow_! OK, OK, I’m sorry,” Draco said as Hermione swatted the back of his head. “No, seriously. That song they kept singing just really fits us. _Barely even friends, then somebody bends unexpectedly? Bittersweet and strange, finding you can change, learning you were wrong?_ Hell, Hermione, it could have been written _for_ us! It just reminded me of all we’ve been through to get here, to this perfect little place that’s our own. It’s so unlikely for us to be here, yet we’re here anyway. And I’m grateful for it.”

Hermione’s smile was pure starlight as she leaned in to give him a _very_ enthusiastic kiss. All of a sudden, Draco thought of several other reasons to be happy they decided to stay in. Just as he was about to deepen the kiss, however, it finally clicked — and he jerked backwards to peer at Hermione, causing her to open her eyes in confused surprise.

“Draco? Is everything OK?”

“Yes! You just kind of look like her, you know.”

“Who?”

“Belle, of course! Her hair is certainly more tame than yours— _ow_! OK, OK, no more hair jokes,” he said, rubbing the sore spot on his arm. “But she could almost be your sister. Or maybe a cousin, or something.”

“Hmmm,” Hermione mused, staring at the DVD cover, then tossing it lightly onto the couch. “Nope, I don’t see it at all. However, I do have to ask — how would you feel about growing a beard?”

Draco smirked, winked and growled at her. “If you want a beast, Hermione, I can definitely be a beast.” Giggling, Hermione mock-shrieked and raced into the bedroom, with Draco close behind.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are always appreciated! Until next time, faithful readers!


End file.
